Barbecue machine



Nov. 3, 1936. F. F. THOMPSON BARBECUE MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1936.

F. F. THOMPSON 2,059,565

BARBECUE MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 menial:

Patented Nov. 3, 1936 2,059,666

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BARBECUE MACHINE Frederick Foster Thompson, Lawton, Okla. Application December 5, 1932, Serial No. 645,872

3 Claims. (01. 53-5) This invention relates to display barbecue ma- Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of chines. the heating oven showing the spit and heating An object of the invention is the provision of element, a barbecue machine for cooking and seasoning Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective 5 meats of various kinds in a uniform and saniof the means for supporting the meat to be baked 5 tary manner, the machine providing an attracand disclosing my improved spit. tive display for the meats being cooked and Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the the meats which have been cooked and stored in drawings, I designates a baking oven which is a heating oven. formed of a metal framework with the front Another object of the invention is the provision wall, side walls and top formed of transparent 10 of a barbecue machine in which the meats are material such as pyrex glass which will stand a n ly s s by ma ri s n m y surficient temperature in the baking of the meat tributed over the surface of the meat but materials shown at l9 and supported by a mandrel or spit which are carried by a spit so that the meat I8. A door 35 which includes a metal frame supwill be seasoned simultaneously from the exterior porting a transparent panel is hinged to the top 15 and interior during the baking operation. of the baking oven and inclined at an angle to A further object of the invention is the prothe horizontal, vision of a barbecue machine in which means are Located within the baking oven is a storage provided uniformly distributing t e ea container (Fig. l) 2 which also may be formed ing liquid Over the Surface of the meatbeiug of refractory glass and is adapted to contain a cooked W l automatically pp y n he i seasoning liquid which is distributed, as will be tributil'lg means With the liquid from a Storage presently explained, over the meat I9 which is tank enclosed in a sanitary manner from inbeing b k d i th oven,

sects and foreign matter carried by the air. A distributing means in the form of a shallow o. A further Object of the invention is t e propan 9 is located below the storage container 2 Vis on O a a e machine for pp g uniand above the meat I9 which is being cooked.

formly heat to meats being cooked while diS- The drip pan is carried by a support or frame I tributing a seasoning liquid over the surface of in the shape of a pan and this frame neatly rethe meat, m a also being provided to prevent ceives the pan 9. Along one edge of the pan is the ire-application of the seasoning liquid to the provided a shallow groove I0 which is adapted 30 meats being cooked and to meats being retained to collect the seasoning liquid before the liquid in aheating oven. is distributed through a plurality of perforations Another object of the invention is the pro- I I. The pan I0 is removable from the support I vision of a barbecue machine having a baking so that it may be readily cleaned when desired.

oven and a heating oven closely associated in This pan also contains a lug Ill upon which rests which meats after they have been cooked may be the lower end of the stem or metering pin 3.

stored in a heating oven and carried by the inner A support or frame I is provided with side bars face of the door of the heating oven which may I2 from which laterally project trunnions. 1

be employed as a carving table when it is desired mounted in bearings I4 which are connected to to supply the cooked meat to customers. the brackets I5 and I5 attached respectively to This invention will be best understood from a the posts I6 and I1. From an inspection of Figconsideration of the following detailed descripures '7 and 9 it will be seen that the bearings I4 tion, in view of the accompanying drawings formare so constructed that the flat trunnions l will ing a part of the specification, nevertheless, it permit the support I tobe tilted at a predeteris to be understood that the invention is not mined angle but will prevent the support from 45 confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of moving to a vertical position. In other words, such changes and modifications which shall dethis construction is such that the supp rt will fine no material departure from the salient feapermit the pan 9 to be tilted at a slight angle to tures of the invention as expressed in the apthe horizontal so that the seasoning liquid, in-

; pended claims. dicated at 9% will be moved by gravity into the In th drawings: distributing channel or trough I9 when the pan Figure l is a View in perspective of the barbecue has been tilted sufficiently by a predetermined machine with parts removed showing the door quantity of seasoning liquid which has been disof the heating oven in open position and providcharged from the storage container 2 to said ing a carving table, distributing pan. 55

A weight 8 is carried by extensions or side bars [2 of the support "I and will maintain the pan in the position shown in Figure '7 until a predetermined quantity of seasoning liquid has been received by the pan 9.

The meat I9 is carried by a spit or mandrel l8 which is passed through approximately the center of the meat to be cooked and has its ends supported in bearings ES in the posts It and H.

A heating element 28 (Fig. 2) having electric wires 29 is adapted to be supported at an angle to the vertical and sufficiently inclined so that the heat rays from the heating element will be projected upon the meat H9 in the baking oven 1. This heating element may be secured to a floor 5| of the heating oven in any approved manner.

A reflector 3% is located adjacent the heating element 28 and inclined at substantially the same angle as the heating element and is carried by blocks 3! having grooves to receive the edges of the reflector. This reflector is spaced sufiiciently from the heating element 28 to reflect the heat rays onto the meat I9. The portion 34 of the bottom 5! of the heating oven is provided with perforations 32 on both sides of the reflector 3!) to permit the circulation of air between the baking oven I and the heating oven l It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 that the mandrel is provided with passages 48 and 49 extending entirely through the mandrel and these passages are adapted to be filled with seasoning material of any suitable material such as spices, pepper, salt, vinegar, ground vegetables, and fruits. The particular examples just given may be supplanted by other seasoning materials if desired.

The mandrel or spit is also provided with grooves 47 adapted to be supplied with seasoning materials of any well known type and over the whole mandrel is placed a coating of fat, as shown at 50. This coating not only provides a means for retaining the seasoning materials in the passages 48 and 49 and in the grooves ll until the meat is sulficiently heated to melt the fat but the fat itself provides seasoning material for the meats. By this particular construction the meats when revolved and heated in the baking oven will be supplied with seasoning materials from the center while the seasoning materials are supplied by the distributing means 9 as previously described. It will be appreciated that as the meat is revolved the juices of the meat will be thrown outwardly towards the surface and the seasoning materials will be carried along with the juices of the meat.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the post it is hollow and contains a sprocket wheel 23 driven by a chain 43 and this chain is driven by a gear 44 connected with an electric motor 44 The sprocket wheel 23 is secured to a stub shaft 23 which is carried by bearings 22 and 24: supported by the post it. This stub shaft has a socket 46 adapted to receive one end of the mandrel IS. The socket is the same cross sectional area as the mandrel I 8 so that the end or" the mandrel will neatly fit in the socket and be revolved when the stub shaft is revolved.

Wires ll connect the motor with a switch 40 and this switch is in turn connected with a socket 3E and this socket is adapted to be connected in the usual manner to the house current.

The heating oven (Fig. 1) has an opening at the rear which is closed by a door 36 and this door is provided with posts 3'! having sockets 3T to receive the ends of the spit or mandrel l8 for supporting the meat in a horizontal position within the heating oven I for maintaining the meat at a predetermined temperature and for supporting the meat in a horizontal position when the door is open, as shown in Fig. 1 and in this position of the door the same is used as a carving table for supplying customers with meat.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 1, a number of pieces of meat may be placed on the spit or mandrel l8 and these pieces of meat may be of various kinds. The inner ends of the meat are separated by a disc 20.

A receptacle or pan 25 is received within an opening in the floor 5| of the baking oven and is located directly below the meat l9 so that as the seasoning liquid is distributed on the meat and drains off it will be collected by the pan 25 and be discharged through a spout 21 upon the meat supported by the spit or mandrel in the heating oven. If it is not desired, however, to supply the meat in the heating oven with the seasoning fluid, the spout 21 may be so positioned that it will drain directly into the pan 38 carried by the floor 42 of the heating oven. The pans 25 and 38 are removable so that they may be cleaned when desired. The pan 38 is located directly beneath the spout 2'! in order to collect the seasoning liquid discharge from the spout.

The operation of my device is as follows: Meat which is to be cooked is placed upon the spit I8 which may be formed of a strip of wood of reduced cross sectional area and this spit is placed in the supporting bearings, as shown in Fig. 2. The seasoning fluid is placed in the storage container 2 and the door 35 is closed. Current is then turned on to the heating element 23 by manipulation of suitable switches, not shown. The motor 44 is set in motion so that the spit I8 and the meat l9 are revolved in the baking oven I.

When the meat has become sufiiciently heated so that the temperature of the meat adjacent the spit l8 will be raised sufiiciently to melt the fatty covering 50, the seasoning material in the grooves 41 and passages 48 and 49 will begin to afiect the interior of the meat and as the meat is revolved and the juices from the interior carried outwardly the melted fat and the seasoning material will be carried along through the meat. Thus it will be seen that the meat is not only seasoned from the exterior but will be seasoned from the interior.

The seasoning material which has been distributed upon the exterior of the meat l9 will drop downwardly and be collected in the container 25 and spout 21 will carry the seasoning material over the meat stored in the heating oven and will aid in maintaining the meat in the proper state. The container 38 will be sufficiently large to collect all of the seasoning material which has drained from the various pieces of meat which are being cooked.

I claim:

1. In a barbecue machine, a spit adapted to be inserted centrally of the meat to be baked, said spit being provided with a plurality of spaced transversely disposed means for storing and distributing seasoning materials to the interior of the meat, only those storage and distributing means which are supplied with seasoning materials being confined wholly within the meat being cooked, each one of the plurality of means being independent of the other.

2. In a barbecue machine, a spit adapted to be inserted centrally of the meat to be baked,

said spit being provided with transverse passage for storing and distributing seasoning materials to the interior of the meat, said passages being isolated from each other, the seasoning materials being released from the opposite ends of the passages to the interior of the meat when said meat is sufficiently heated.

3. In a barbecue machine, a spit provided with diametrically disposed passages extending through said spit, said passage adapted to be supplied with seasoning materials for distributing the seasoning materials to the interior of the meat, alternate passages being disposed at 5 right angles to the other passages.

FREDERICK FOSTER THOMPSON. 

